Chef-tested recipe
Bahrain’s aromatic chicken-and-rice dish, perfumed with black lime, warm spices, tomato and slow-cooked onions.
Machboos is a Gulf rice dish with many regional versions. Bahraini preparations are distinguished by layered spice, dried black lime and rice cooked in the seasoned chicken broth so every grain carries the flavor of the pot.
Recipe at a glance
- Servings
- 6 servings
- Prep Time
- 25 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1 hour 20 minutes
- Total Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes
- Cuisine
- Bahraini
- Course
- Main Dish
- Best Served With
- Serve with a simple cucumber-tomato salad, yogurt, pickles or a fresh chilli sauce.
Before you begin
Ingredients & equipment
Gather what you need first, then cook through the method with confidence.
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Equipment
- Large heavy pot with lidpaid link
- Fine sieve or measuring jugpaid link
- Chef’s knifepaid link
- Rice colanderpaid link
Ingredients
- 1.4 kg chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 500 g aged basmati rice, rinsed and soaked 30 minutespaid link
- 250 g onion, sliced
- 25 g garlic, minced
- 20 g ginger, minced
- 300 g ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 2 dried black limes, piercedpaid link
- 6 green cardamom pods
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 g ground cumin
- 5 g ground coriander
- 4 g turmeric
- 3 g black pepper
- 12 g salt, plus more to tastepaid link
- 45 ml neutral oil or gheepaid link
- 1.2 L water or light chicken stock
- 30 g coriander or parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, to serve
Preparation Overview
Brown the chicken and onions, build a tomato-and-spice broth with black lime, gently cook the chicken, then use that broth to cook the basmati rice. Return the chicken for service so the meat stays intact and the rice remains fluffy.
Method
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Heat oil in a heavy pot. Brown chicken pieces in batches, then set aside.
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Add onions and cook for 10 minutes until golden. Add garlic, ginger, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, turmeric and pepper; cook 1 minute.
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Add tomatoes and cook until softened and concentrated, about 8 minutes.
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Return chicken. Add black limes, salt and water or stock. Cover and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
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Lift out chicken and keep warm. Measure 800 ml of the cooking liquid, adding water if necessary.
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Drain rice and add it to the pot with the measured broth. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on very low heat for 15 minutes.
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Turn off the heat and rest covered for 10 minutes. Fluff gently.
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Arrange chicken over the rice and finish with herbs and lemon.
Beginner Technique Notes
- Pierce dried black lime so its flavor can enter the broth.
- Do not stir basmati repeatedly while it cooks; this breaks the grains.
- Measure the broth before cooking the rice for consistent texture.
Tips and Variations
- For stronger roasted flavor, brown the cooked chicken briefly under a hot grill before serving.
- Use good-quality dried black lime; stale loomi can taste dusty rather than citrusy.
- Serve the rice from the bottom of the pot as well, where the concentrated spices settle.
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat covered until the chicken and rice are steaming hot throughout.
Nutritional Value
Approximately 690 kcal, 43 g protein, 72 g carbohydrate and 24 g fat per serving.
Allergen Notes
No major allergens are inherent when made with neutral oil and verified stock. If using ghee, contains milk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is loomi?
Loomi is dried lime, a key Gulf seasoning with tart, earthy and slightly fermented citrus notes.
Can I use boneless chicken?
Yes, but bone-in chicken gives the cooking broth more depth and is preferable for machboos.
